Srinagar, February 04 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, clashes erupted in Murran area of Pulwama district early Sunday morning against the launch of a cordon-and-search-operation by Indian troops.
According to media sources, a joint party of army and police cordoned off Bonpora area of Murran and started house to house searches. However, youth took to streets and staged protests. Forces fired bullets and teargas shells to disperse the protesters. Many youths sustained injuries while four were detained by the police. Meanwhile, shutdown was observed in district Shopian on the 11th consecutive day, today, against the recent killing of innocent civilians by the Indian troops. All shops, business establishments, government and private offices are closed in the district while transport is off the roads. Shutdown is being observed in the district since January 25 against the killing of seven people including a 10-year-old boy in the brutal actions of the Indian troops in the district. On the other hand, high-speed mobile Internet service also remained suspended in Pulwama and Shopian districts. Authorities had snapped Internet service on January 24 following the killing of three youth including a teenage boy in Chaigund village of Shopian district. Due to the suspension of high-speed internet, people, particularly students and professionals, continue to suffer. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 04 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, High Court Bar Association (HCBA) staged a protest demonstration in Srinagar against the increase in civilian killings in the territory.
According to media sources, the HCBA in a statement issued in Srinagar said the members of legal fraternity were deeply concerned about the fresh escalation in state terrorism across J&K and the continued war-like situation on ceasefire line. “The forces have leashed a reign of terror across the territory, especially in south Kashmir,” said HCBA General Secretary, advocate GN Shaheen. HCBA condemned the killings of five civilians Musharraf Shahzad, Rayees Ahmad Ganai, Shakir Ahmad Mir, Firdous Ahmad and Sameer Ahmad and demanded immediate arrest of the guilty army officials for being prosecuted and punished under law. “In Shopian, Army without any provocation or reasonable cause fired upon innocent people, killing half a dozen young boys and injured dozens,” the statement said. “It is a matter of concern among others, two teen age girls namely Sumaiya and Sabreena are battling for life. Day in and day out, the armed forces enforce cordon and search operations (CASOs) in villages and assault innocent people besides subjecting the residents to inhuman treatment,” it added. “The lawyers protest is directed against the innocent killings and abuse of basic rights of the people of J&K. The killings, abuse of basic rights and torture in crackdowns is unacceptable and condemned in strongest terms. The Bar demands justice for the people and appeals to the international community to intervene and call upon the Indian government to stop the bloodshed and genocide of Kashmiris,” it said. The HCBA said, “Situation in Kashmir is grave and alarming which is likely to lead a major human tragedy worse than Palestine and Syria.” The members of Bar Association Baramulla also staged a protest in front of deputy commissioner Baramulla office against the recent killings in Shopian. The protest was led by Bar Association President, Abdul Salam Rather. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 04 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, two Kashmiri students who were assaulted in Haryana by a group of over 15 Hindu hooligans have refuted the Haryana police version that they were beaten after a scuffle between the two sides.
According to media sources, the victim students — Aftab Ahmad and Amjad Ali, of Rajouri district— told Srinagar-based newspaper over phone that “no scuffle took place and they were beaten up by the goons without any reason.” The students were thrashed by miscreants in Mahendargarh town when they were returning to their university after offering Friday prayers at the town’s Jamia Masjid. Both the students are pursuing post graduation in Geography at Central University of Haryana and are in their final year. Director General of Haryana Police B S Sandhu said, “It was a scuffle between the two groups after an accident.” However, the students and their friends refuted the police version that they were involved in a scuffle. Meanwhile, the beating of Kashmiri students in Haryana has perturbed the parents, whose wards are studying in different colleges and universities in India. The parents said that once their wards leave Kashmir, the students often face vicious verbal and physical abuse. They also maintained that harassment of Kashmir students has become a routine affair in India. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 03 (Kashmir Voice): Two Kashmiri students were brutally assaulted by a group of Hindu extremists in the Indian state of Haryana.
According to media sources, the students identified as Aftab and Amjad, doing M.Sc in Geography at Haryana’s Central University, were beaten up after they offered Friday prayers at a local masjid in Mahendragarh town. A Kashmiri student at the varsity, Rehaan Andrabi, told a Srinagar-based English daily Kashmir Reader over phone that the students had gone to offer Juma prayers and buy some essentials from the market. When they came out, around 15 people followed them and brutally assaulted them without any reason, he said, adding that the students received injuries on their face and body. He said that the Kashmiri students dialed the police helpline number to register complaint but nobody from the department came forward. “Police told us that doctors should talk to them so that they come to the hospital for registering the complaint. At 7pm, we reached our university hostel and brought the issue to the notice of the authorities, who got the complaint filed with the police after much struggle,” he said. On the other hand, Bhopal police arrested a Kashmiri student who was part of a tour sponsored by the Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology, Srinagar. After his detention, the student has been sent to judicial custody. The university sources told media that a group of 24 B-Tech students including 17 females had gone to Bhopal, Maharashtra and Haryana for 3-month training course. “After completing their training course, on January 31, the students boarded a train from Bhopal to Delhi. In the AC coach-12155, a local woman first questioned them asking them why such a large number of Kashmiris were travelling in the train,” they said. “The woman clicked a photograph of our five kg gas cylinder which we were carrying. The woman tweeted that photograph with caption ‘Dozens of Kashmiris carrying a bomb in Delhi-bound Bhopal train,” said some students who were part of the tour. They said that railway authorities let them off after advising them not to carry gas cylinders next time in the train, but as soon as the train reached Vidisha Railway Station, the cops from Habib Gunj Police Station directed them to alight from the train. The students said, “We all were paraded and photographed. The cops after questioning, detained one of our fellow students and lodged him at Habib Gunj Police Station.” The arrested student was identified as Muhammad Idress of South Kashmir’s Islamabad district. “We were harassed and abused. The locals as well as police labeled us terrorists. The pseudo nationalist woman who tweeted the photograph with misleading caption abused us even in front of the police and other locals,” the students said. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 03 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, three Indian troops were killed in a snow avalanche in Kupwara district.
According to media sources, police said that the avalanche hit a post of Indian army in Machil area of the district, resulting in the killing of three soldiers. The rescue operation is on to recover the bodies of the soldiers, the police said. “We are still confirming if more soldiers are trapped under the snow. At the moment it is difficult to say about the exact number of casualties,” SSP Kupwara, Shamsher Hussian, told media. Meanwhile, body of a Kashmiri youth, Zakir Ahmad Sheikh, was found in Kangan area of Ganderbal district. The youth was missing since Thursday. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 03 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown is being observed in district Shopian on the tenth consecutive day, today, against the recent killing of innocent civilians by the Indian troops.
According to media sources, all shops, business establishments, government and private offices are closed in the district while transport is off the roads. Shutdown is being observed in the district since January 25 against the killing of seven people including a 10-year-old boy in the brutal actions of the Indian troops in the district. Meanwhile, complete shutdown is being observed in Soibug area of Badgam district against the arrest of several youth by the Indian police during house raids, last night. Locals told mediamen that the forces’ personnel broke windowpanes and ransacked several houses in Guru, Fakir and Dandipora areas of Soibug during the nocturnal raids. KASHMIR VOICE